


Snowed In

by Aeshna_cyanea



Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: F/M, Feelings, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-04
Updated: 2019-01-04
Packaged: 2019-10-04 08:52:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17301620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aeshna_cyanea/pseuds/Aeshna_cyanea
Summary: Maze and Lucifer are on holiday away from LA. When the weather turns nasty, Maze has to take care of a freezing Devil.





	Snowed In

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first prompt fill for my LuciferBingo bingo card.   
> Prompt: snowed in

Maze was just adding another log to the fire burning in the open fireplace when the door of the cabin flew open in a gust of icy wind and a flurry of snowflakes, and a heavily laden figure staggered in.  
  
“Finally! I was beginning to wonder if you’d decided to stay in town. Close the door, you’re letting in the cold.”  
  
“A little help here, Maze?” Lucifer sounded a bit frazzled. He was carrying several large paper grocery bags piled high with whatever he had bought - quite a lot of fresh vegetables, by the look of it - and had several more bags hanging from his arms. The whole load was so high he couldn’t see where he was going. It was a minor miracle that he had managed to reach the door and open it at all.  
  
She rolled her eyes even though he couldn’t see it, and then quickly went over to him and relieved him of part of his burden. A few steps took her into the open kitchen area where she deposited the bags on the long counter that formed the divide between it and the living room.   
  
Lucifer appeared beside her and set down his own load of bags, then turned back to the door. “There’s more in the car. I’ll be right back.”  
  
He left the door open as he disappeared out into the swirling snow. Maze scowled at the flurry of snowflakes that was blown in, and shivered when the cold currents reached her. But she did not move to close the door. Some cold and a bit of melting snow were better than an annoyed Devil.  
  
Instead she surveyed the heap of bags on the counter, wondering what army Lucifer was planning to feed. Surely he hadn’t bought all this just for the two of them. Then again, it would be just like him to get carried away, planning all sorts of delicious meals in his head, and go on a grocery shopping spree.  
  
In any case, the stuff was here now and needed to be dealt with. She chose a bag at random and began unpacking the contents, eyebrows twitching upwards at what she found. Grapes. Bottles of cream. A jar of capers. Steaks, several pounds of them. Rice, the kind you need for risotto. A bottle of bath oils. Apparently not all of Lucifer’s purchases were food.  
  
She was just putting the cream and the steaks into the fridge when the boards of the porch outside creaked and Lucifer came in with the second load of bags. If possible, he was carrying even more this time. Maze hurried over and kicked the door shut behind him, then took the three topmost bags out of his arms.  
  
“Thank you, my darling.”  
  
“Please tell me there isn’t more in the car.”  
  
Lucifer smiled at her, his face now visible over the bags he was still holding. “No, this is all.”   
  
He nodded towards the closed door behind him as he moved over towards a still clear part of the counter and set down his load, then stepped back and divested himself of his coat and kicked off his snow-encrusted shoes. “I see you’ve stocked up the woodpile outside. Good thinking.”  
  
She shrugged. “Got an alert that they’ve raised the warning level. Looks like we’re getting a pretty nasty blizzard. They were talking about up to five feet of snow, possibly even more. Said people should prepare for being snowed in for a few days at least.”   
  
Besides, fetching the wood and stacking it up on the porch along the cabin walls had been something to do while she waited for his return.  
  
“Yes, I heard the same warnings as I was driving into town,” Lucifer replied.   
  
“Is that why…,” Maze gestured at the bags covering the counter.  
  
He shrugged as he turned to hang up his coat on one of the hooks beside the door. “I know we have enough stuff in the larder here to survive for a week or two, but I didn’t fancy the prospect of having to live off baked beans and canned ravioli, or whatever else there is.”  
  
Having arranged his coat just so on the hook, Lucifer came over towards Maze. A colorful curse escaped him as he crossed the large mat on stockinged feet and found out the hard way that his recent entries had left it soaked. Once he reached the dry hardwood floor, he took off his socks and threw them onto the mat, then walked the rest of the way barefoot.  
  
Maze shook her head as she began unpacking the next bag. “I was wondering what army you were planning to feed.”  
  
Lucifer chuckled. “Alright, I may have gotten a bit carried away there.”  
  
“Yeah, just a bit.” She lifted a whole pineapple out of the bag before her and added it to the rapidly growing pile of fruit over by the sink. So far, there were the grapes, apples, pears, blueberries, bananas, a small mango, several avocados, lemons, limes, kumquats, and now the pineapple.  
  
They continued working together to sort everything and pack it away. It took them a while. Maze kept having to restrain herself from making comments at the huge quantity and variety of foodstuffs Lucifer had bought. She couldn’t quite manage to keep an impassive face, though. And of course Lucifer noticed the twitching eyebrow at the couple dozen eggs - “breakfast. You like my omelets, don’t you?” - the gallons of milk and packets of gourmet cocoa - “I was planning to make us my special hot chocolate” - and the beetroots - “this is the perfect weather for a nice pot of borscht.”  
  
There was also a wide variety of what humans called junk food. Lucifer’s favorite cool ranch puffs, Maze’s own favorite hot potato chips, other salty snacks, an assortment of candy bars and gummies, chocolate covered nuts and raisins, and a large packet of popping corn.  
  
At last, fridge and cupboards bursting with produce, there were only three piles left. One was the fruits, which now included oranges, a pomegranate, lychees, and a papaya. They could all remain out on the counter for now.   
  
The second pile contained the non-food items. Mostly toiletries, though Maze had noted with amusement that Lucifer had included two bottles of lube. He had bought spares for most of his hair products, as well as the most important of Maze’s cosmetics. Additionally and to her surprise, he had been thoughtful enough to purchase stuff like tissues, cotton wads, and toilet paper. All this would be packed away in the bathrooms.  
  
The last pile contained foodstuffs destined for the larder. Three different types of potatoes - not counting the sweet potatoes - a large bag of onions, the rice, some dried beans, bags of flour and sugar. There were also some bulky frozen items - a side of salmon, two extra-large tubs of their favorite ice cream, and a whole frozen turkey - that were too large for the freezer drawers of the fridge.  
  
With a sigh, Maze walked over to the trapdoor beneath the stairs and pulled it up, revealing the cellar stairs. Really, calling this place a cabin was misleading. It was quite a substantial house. Yes, the second floor, roof, and wraparound roofed porch were built of wood, the walls appearing to be made from entire tree trunks, at least from the outside. But the first floor was built of stone, and beneath them were extensive cellars. She didn’t know who had built this place, or what it had originally been used for, but it certainly wasn’t just some holiday cabin.  
  
In addition to the house, there was a large barn which served mostly as garage and storage space for the firewood. The property also included several acres of woodland, complete with a small stream where you could fish for trout. Lucifer had acquired all of it in one of his deals.  
  
They quickly stowed away the food and returned upstairs. Lucifer closed the trap door as Maze headed towards the pile of toiletries, shaking her head at the sheer quantity of stuff he had bought.  
  
“Do you really think we will get snowed in for long enough to need all this?”  
  
Lucifer smiled deprecatingly. “Well, hopefully not _all_ of it. But I do think we will have to spend at least a little while cooped up in here.” He nodded towards the windows which showed only a dark grey nothingness with white flakes whirling past in the foreground. “The weather was foul on my drive back from town, and it’s gotten worse since I arrived.”  
  
Maze cast a look at the window and scowled. He was right. Sunset was still hours away, but outside it was already quite dark. And the snow was piling up. She could see the first small drifts encroaching on the edges of the porch.  
  
When she turned back, Lucifer was pouting. “You don’t like the idea of being snowed in with me, just the two of us all alone with nobody to interrupt us?”  
  
His tone was teasing, but Maze could hear the traces of uncertainty and hurt in there. She rolled her eyes and stepped right into his personal space, raising her hand to cup his cheek. She suppressed a frown when she felt the cold still clinging to his stubble, then dismissed it. The skin beneath her palm warmed up quickly, at any rate. She looked up into his eyes.  
  
“I like spending time with you alone. And I’d be happy to spend a week or two, or even three, here with you without anybody else showing up and disturbing us.”  
  
“Then why the grimace?”  
  
“Because I don’t like being locked in, unable to go out even for a walk or anything. You know I don’t deal well with forced inactivity.” She shot him a look. “And neither do you. If we’re stuck here for long enough, we’ll probably both go crazy.”  
  
Lucifer laughed. “Alright, you do have a point there.” He grasped her hips and pulled her flush against him, tilting his head so he could nibble on her right ear. “But I’m confident we will be able to come up with some indoor activities to distract ourselves.”  
  
“Mmm,” Maze moaned softly, arching against him, “looks like you already have some ideas.”  
  
“Just one or two.”  
  
His breath tickled her, making her squirm. Lucifer brushed his cold nose against the sensitive spot right behind her ear, inhaling deeply. Then he pursed his lips and blew the air out again, directing the stream along her neck, purposefully making her squirm some more.  
  
In response, Maze wound her arms around his neck, and carded her fingers through his hair. She suppressed a frown when she felt the cold dampness of the soft strands. It seemed Lucifer had gotten more snow on his head than she had expected. Another gust of warm breath against sensitive skin made her dismiss all thoughts of the weather for now. She took hold of a handful of his hair and tugged, pulling him away from her neck.  
  
“Hey!”   
  
Lucifer’s cry of protest earned him a glare.   
  
“Stop tickling me.” She tugged his hair again for emphasis.  
  
“Alright, alright. No need for hair pulling.” Lucifer removed one of his hands from her hips and reached up to untangle her fingers from his hair.  
  
Maze rolled her eyes. “Oh stop complaining, I didn’t pull that hard. You know I wouldn’t hurt you.” Seeing his arched eyebrow, she amended, “at least not unless you really piss me off.”  
  
That comment made Lucifer chuckle, but he quickly became serious, looking at her with an earnestness that made her slightly uneasy. “Yes, I know you wouldn’t hurt me, Maze.”  
  
She was relieved when he leaned in and kissed her. Moments like this, when Lucifer suddenly went all emotional on her, always threw her off balance. She never knew how to react. With other people that mostly wouldn’t be a problem; she didn’t care if she hurt some random human’s feelings by not reacting how you were supposed to react. But with Lucifer it was different. She didn’t want to hurt him.  
  
Their kiss started out soft and tender, almost hesitant. That was another thing that had been happening more and more frequently. In the past, their kisses had usually been passionate, forceful, often a downright fight for dominance. And the ones that hadn’t been like that had been leading up to it, teasing, titillating, enticing the other to do more. There had been a clear purpose behind them. They were one step on the way to the goal, and that goal was sex.  
  
This new tenderness was… different. There was no clear goal. Oh, sex was one of the possible outcomes, of course. But it was equally likely that they would just continue to kiss each other, maybe exchange a few caresses, without going any further. And surprisingly, Maze had found herself enjoying these occasions just as much as the ones that ended with sex. There was a lack of urgency to them, a sort of languid contentment that was alien to her nature, but that somehow appealed to her.  
  
Right now, though, Maze wanted more. She wound her arms around Lucifer’s neck again, pulling his head down so she could deepen the kiss. In response he took hold of her hips once more, pulling her more firmly against him. His tongue flicked out to brush teasingly over her lips. Maze reacted by taking his bottom lip between hers and sucking on it, while one hand still cupped the back of Lucifer’s head and the fingers of the other one played with the short, soft hairs at the nape of his neck.  
  
Lucifer broke their kiss for a second to gasp in air, and the moved in again with increased passion. All traces of hesitation were gone now. His hands were not idle, either. They moved to her backside, squeezing her leather-covered cheeks. Lucifer repeated the action several times, making Maze moan. Then he took hold of the hem of her sweater and began itching it upwards.   
  
The moment his fingers reached her naked skin, Maze jumped back with a cry. “Aaah!”  
  
“What? Maze?” Lucifer stared at her, confused and concerned.  
  
She glared at him. “Cold hands!”  
  
“What?”  
  
“You have cold hands.” A frown creased her brow and her next words were laced with suspicion. “Why are your hands so cold?”  
  
“They’re not!” Lucifer protested vehemently, lifting up his right hand and pressing it to his cheek. He promptly flinched.  
  
“Yes they are! They’re icy!”  
  
“Alright, I have to admit that they are a bit on the cool side right now. But with your help that can quickly be changed.”   
  
He grinned mischievously and reached for her again, but Maze evaded his grasp and slapped his hands away.  
  
“No. You’re not using me as a hand warmer. And I still want an answer, Lucifer. Why are your hands so cold? You’ve been in here for a while now, and we’ve been working, unpacking the stuff you bought. Even if you got cold carrying the stuff in from the car, you should have warmed up again by now.”  
  
The devil growled in annoyance. “Well in case you hadn’t noticed, there is a snowstorm going on out there and I had to walk through it, repeatedly, to bring in the shopping.”  
  
Maze shook her head. “That doesn’t explain your cold hands. It’s not like you had to walk miles through the snow. The barn isn’t that far away.”  
  
Lucifer threw up his hands in what Maze considered an unnecessarily dramatic display of frustration. “What does it matter how my hands got cold. I’m sure they’ll get warm again soon enough. How about I go and hold them under warm water for a bit, and them we can get back to far more pleasant subjects?”  
  
He stepped over to the sink and quickly turned on the water. Maze narrowed her eyes. She knew evasive behavior when she saw it. Two quick steps and a flick of the wrist, and the water was off and she was standing right in Lucifer’s personal space.  
  
“You’re not telling me something, and I want to know what it is.”  
  
He shifted on his feet, avoiding her gaze. Maze reached out and grasped his left forearm where he had shoved up his sleeves. The skin there was just as cold as his hands.  
  
The sudden warmth of her touch made Lucifer look up and she caught his gaze.   
  
“Something happened to get you this cold. Spill.”  
  
She could see the irritation at her brusque tone flare in his eyes, the instinctive denial float on his tongue. Her hands tightened involuntarily.  
  
Lucifer must have noticed, and for once he read her mood correctly. A deep sigh escaped him, his irritation draining away and leaving behind sheepishness.   
  
“Alright, alright. The SUV’s heating broke down on the way back. By the time I got here I swear it was colder inside the car than outside.” He gave her his patented ‘so there’ look.  
  
Maze released her hold on his arm and took a step back, out of his personal space, as she considered this answer. It did sound reasonable enough, but there was something about Lucifer’s demeanor that kept her suspicions up. She let her gaze wander around the room until it landed on the coat hanging by the door.  
  
“Hang on. You were wearing your coat. That should have kept you nice and warm. I know how warm that coat is. I had to take mine off when I was dealing with the firewood because I was sweating in there.”  
  
Lucifer looked annoyed again, but also slightly guilty. “Well, the coat doesn’t cover my hands. And I told you, it got really cold in the car.”  
  
“What about your gloves?”  
  
“Ah. I’m afraid I left them here.” He nodded towards the side table by the door, where two pairs of black leather gloves were lying, one rather bigger than the other. Now that he had drawn her attention to them, Maze remembered seeing his pair lying there earlier.  
  
“Okay, but that doesn’t explain why your whole arm is cold. Stop playing silly buggers with me, Lucifer.”  
  
With an exasperated sigh, he finally gave up. “Alright, fine. Fine! I wasn’t wearing the coat in the car. As you noticed, it keeps you very warm. I took it off while I was loading the groceries into the car. Didn’t think I’d need to wear it during the drive. The heating should have kept everything nice and warm. And anyway, driving is easier when you’re not wearing a bulky coat.”  
  
“Why didn’t you put it back on when you realized the heating wasn’t working?”  
  
He gave her another one of those sheepish glances and muttered something under his breath.  
  
“What was that?”  
  
“I couldn’t.” He forestalled her next question with a gesture, then ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “I put it in the trunk with the groceries. Ended up stacking some of the stuff on top of it. And by the time I realized the car wasn’t getting any warmer, I was well outside the town and it was snowing heavily. I couldn’t find any sheltered spot where I could have gotten out of the car and to the trunk without getting blasted with snow.”  
  
How utterly typical. Maze didn’t waste any breath asking him why he didn’t turn around and drive back into town, or why he didn’t tell her the truth at once. That was just Lucifer. She shook her head.   
  
“Idiot.” Her tone was warm with fondness.  
  
“Yes, yes, it was stupid of me. You can give me a good spanking for it.” He was grinning and looking at her expectantly.  
  
Maze shook her head. “Maybe later. Let’s get you warmed up first.” She took his hand and headed towards the stairs that led up to the second floor. “Do you want to take a hot shower, or a bath?”  
  
Lucifer tugged at their joined hands, stopping her and making her turn back to him. “A bath, I think. Will you join me?”  
  
There was that tenderness again, and that earnestness that always unsettled her. Seeing her hesitation, Lucifer gently stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. “Please? You can choose the bath oils, or bubbles. Whatever you want.”  
  
She couldn’t let an offer like that pass uncommented. “ _Whatever_ I want?”  
  
There was a momentary hesitation before Lucifer answered, and his tone left no doubt that he was beginning to realize the dangers of his offer. “Yes.”   
  
“I want the strawberry bubbles.”  
  
Maze watched the grimace of dismay appear on his face and waited for his protests, but after a few moments of internal struggle, Lucifer surprised her. He gave a sigh, chuckled ruefully, and once again looked at her with that disquieting earnestness. “Alright, strawberry bubbles it is.”  
  
Seeing her surprise at him giving in like that, Lucifer smiled softly. “Your company is worth smelling weird for the rest of the day.”  
  
“Not weird. Tasty.” Maze licked her lips for emphasis.  
  
“Oh?” A grin spread across his face. “In that case…”  
  
He tightened his hold on her hand and all but dragged her up the stairs to the master bathroom with its huge freestanding bathtub. Maze immediately turned on the water and carefully adjusted the temperature until it was just below scalding, the way both she and Lucifer liked it. She pressed the plug and turned towards the cabinet holding their collection of bath oils, only to find Lucifer leaning against it, watching her with a fond smile. She shooed him away with a wave of her hand.   
  
“Make yourself useful and get the big towels from the linen cupboard, okay?”  
  
“Yes, mistress.”   
  
He gave her a sarcastic salute and disappeared from the room, returning moments later with a large stack of black towels. Out of the corner of her eye, Maze saw him hang the two biggest ones and two smaller ones on the warming rack, then place the rest on a convenient sideboard before leaving again.  
  
She crouched down before the open cabinet and began moving aside various bottles to get at the pink one with the strawberry bubble bath. Of course it was at the very back, wedged between jars of bath salts and bottles of other essences. Just as her fingertips finally brushed against it, her gaze fell on a long-necked bottle half full of a golden liquid. She paused, hesitated for a moment, and reconsidered her choice.  
  
Stepping over to the by now half full bathtub, Maze poured a good amount of the golden yellow essence into the water. Immediately a warm, spicy scent began to rise and fill the room. She inhaled deeply, savoring the notes of ginger, cardamom and honey. Yes. This was much better for warming up.  
  
A quick glance around the room showed that everything was almost ready. Maze started to undress as she waited for the tub to fill up, and for Lucifer to return. What was he up to anyway? Everything they needed was already here.  
  
Just as she was beginning to wonder if she should go looking for him, soft instrumental music began playing over the speakers hidden in the bathroom ceiling. Maze rolled her eyes and smiled fondly. Typical Lucifer. Of course he couldn’t just have a quick, hot bath because he was cold. No, he had to make a production out of it.  
  
Her opinion was confirmed a few moments later. She was just folding up her discarded clothes and putting them into an orderly stack when the door opened and Lucifer came in. She could feel his gaze traveling over her naked body as she moved over to the tub and shut off the water. Then she turned around, eyebrow arched.  
  
“Beautiful. You, my dear Mazikeen, are truly magnificent.”  
  
Maze inclined her head with a smile, acknowledging the compliment. She noted with approval that he too had already discarded his clothes and was now wearing only his dressing gown. The warm, quilted one. Her own matching gown was hanging over his arm.  
  
Her eyes focused on the stuff Lucifer was carrying. He held a champagne bucket with a bottle sticking out of it in one hand. In his other hand he had a large basket. The corners of Maze’s mouth twitched when she spotted the large box of luxury chocolates beneath the two champagne flutes.  
  
Seeing her look, Lucifer grinned. “I thought we should do this properly.”  
  
“The proper way of getting you warmed up requires champagne and chocolates?”  
  
“Well, not necessarily.” His grin softened. “But sharing a hot bath with you definitely does call for a little something extra. And anyway, there’s nothing wrong with a bit of bubbly, some sweets, and candlelight.”  
  
Maze’s eyebrow went up again. “Candlelight? You’re turning our bath into a candlelight dinner?”  
  
“Oh, now that’s an idea! Wouldn’t that be lovely?” He was beaming at her, completely unperturbed by her skeptical look. But after a moment he sighed with regret. “Alas, we would need someone to do the serving and take away the dishes afterwards. Maybe we can do it when we’re back home.”  
  
“Maybe. I’m not agreeing to anything.” Maze remained deeply skeptical of the idea, hoping that by the time they got back to LA Lucifer would have forgotten about it. Dinner while bathing might sound nice when you first heard it, but she had a suspicion that the reality wouldn’t be quite so much fun.  
  
But champagne and chocolates should be alright.  
  
Lucifer shook his head at her lack of enthusiasm. “Very well. Let’s get this set up, shall we?”  
  
He put down the basket, handed her the champagne bucket, and turned to hang up Maze’s dressing gown on the hook at the door. Then he slipped off his own gown and hung it from an adjoining hook.  
  
Meanwhile, Maze pulled the wooden side table that stood beneath the window over to the side of the tub and placed the champagne, glasses, and chocolate box on it. Now she could see the other contents of the basket. There were a large number of small glass jars, and a pack of tea lights, plus two lighters. She shook her head.  
  
“Don’t you think you’re going just a bit overboard here? By the time we’ve set out all those, the water will be cold.”  
  
“Nonsense. If we work together this will take no time at all.” He nudged her playfully with an elbow and lifted the first stack of glasses and the pack of tea lights onto the counter.   
  
Maze rolled her eyes and gave in, taking the rest of the stacked glasses and the two lighters out of the basket and adding them to the counter. Together, they quickly lit tea lights, placed them in the glasses, and distributed them on every available surface in the room.   
  
When Maze placed the last candle on the narrow windowsill, she looked outside for a moment. It was well and truly dark now, the swirling snow making it impossible to see even a hint of the nearest trees. She could hear the wind howling outside over the music.  
  
Turning away from the tempestuous darkness, she found Lucifer standing by the door, his finger poised over the light switch, a wide grin on his face. He caught her gaze and raised his eyebrows as he switched off the lights. Now the room was illuminated only by the dozens of candles, their flames reflecting in the window pane and the large mirror behind the wash basins, and gleaming on the edges of the porcelain.  
  
Maze returned to the other side of the bathtub and held out her hand to Lucifer. “Alright. In you get.”  
  
He hesitated for a moment, perhaps about to suggest that she should go first. A quick glare made him change his mind. Lucifer stepped forward, took the proffered hand, lifted his left leg, and swung it over the edge of the tub.   
  
A sharp hiss escaped him when his toes touched the water and he flinched back. Maze tightened her hold on his hand, wrapping her free arm around Lucifer’s waist to steady him. He shot her a quick, grateful smile, and then carefully lowered his foot into the water. Once he had lowered it to the bottom of the tub, he carefully shifted his weight and lifted his right leg, then slowly immersed it into the water, too.  
  
Maze watched him grimace and clench his teeth as the heat hit his cold limbs, then gradually relax as he grew accustomed to it. Lucifer gave her another quick smile and a nod, and then released his hold on her hand and grasped the sides of the bathtub. He carefully lowered himself into the water, and finally leaned back and stretched out his legs with a groan.  
  
“Bloody Hell this is hot.”  
  
“It’s the same temperature as always. You’re just cold.”  
  
“I know, Maze.” He rolled his eyes at her, then groaned again. “Still feels bloody hot. Stings and burns.”  
  
“That’ll stop soon, once you start to warm up. Just relax.”  
  
Maze reached out and ran her hand through Lucifer’s hair. He turned his head and leaned into the touch, giving her another one of those tender smiles. Then he held out his hand. “Join me?”  
  
“Of course.”  
  
She let him assist her into the bathtub, stepping carefully into the space between his spread legs, then lowering herself into the hot water and sitting back opposite him. A contented sigh escaped her lips as the heat began to seep into her body.  
  
Lucifer was watching her, still smiling that soft smile. It made something inside Maze clench uncomfortably. She shifted, trying to rid herself of the strange sensation, and felt Lucifer stiffen as her foot brushed his inner thigh. A smirk curved up the corners of her mouth. He saw it and gave her as stern look.  
  
“Maze…”  
  
The warning was unmistakable, but she ignored it. Letting herself sink lower into the water, she stretched out her legs, her toes once again brushing the insides of Lucifer’s thighs as they traveled towards their goal.  
  
A second before they could touch his balls, Lucifer clamped his legs together, trapping her feet. Maze tried to wriggle out of his hold, but he simply increased the pressure, keeping her trapped. In response, she clenched her toes, pinching the sensitive flesh.  
  
“Maze! Stop it!”   
  
Lucifer momentarily loosened his hold on her, allowing her to pull her right foot free. Before she could do anything though, he caught it in his hands and gave it a tug, making her slide forward until the water reached her chin.  
  
“Behave.”  
  
Maze scowled mutinously as she pulled herself back up. She hated being told to behave. She was a demon, after all. And Lucifer knew it. Half the time when he used that word he wanted her to misbehave. The other half… was more complicated, ranging from thoughtlessness to deliberate psychological torment.   
  
This time it appeared to have been a case of thoughtlessness, because his expression softened when he saw her scowl.  
  
“Please?”  
  
Damn. He was giving her his best puppy eyes. Once again something clenched inside Maze, making her shift uncomfortably. She averted her gaze and nodded sharply.   
  
“Thank you, my darling.” Lucifer leaned forward and lifted her foot which he was still holding. He placed a kiss on her big toe before releasing his hold and opening his legs, allowing her to withdraw hers.   
  
Maze pulled her knees up and curled up at her end of the bathtub. Why did he have to keep unsettling her with this tenderness? She could feel his gaze on her, could sense his beginning disappointment that she was acting this way. But she had no idea how else to act. She didn’t know what he wanted, what was expected of her here. All these stupid emotions were alien to her.  
  
Casting around for something, anything to break the awkwardness that had settled over them, her eyes fell on the table standing next to the bathtub.  
  
“Someone promised me champagne and chocolates.”  
  
“Of course.”  
  
Maze risked a glance as she felt him lean forward, and was relieved to see him smiling again, that familiar wry smile that always made it look as though he considered the whole world to be nothing more than a mildly amusing joke. She relaxed and watched through half-lidded eyes as he opened the champagne bottle with practiced ease and filled the two flutes.   
  
Lucifer handed her one glass and then leaned back against his end of the tub and raised his own glass in a toast.  
  
“To us, my darling.”  
  
Maze raised her glass and nodded. “To us.”  
  
They both drained their glasses. Lucifer immediately refilled them, and then lifted the lid of the chocolate box, set it aside together with the beautifully marbled tissue paper covering the pralines, and held the box out to Maze.  
  
Her fingers hovered for a moment over the chocolates as she considered her choices, then plucked out one of her favorite orange liqueur ones. Lucifer grinned as she popped the piece into her mouth and moaned demonstratively as she bit down. He put the box back onto the side table and took one of the dark chocolate truffles for himself, leaning back against the wall of the tub with a contented sigh.  
  
Maze studied him carefully. The hot water had clearly served its purpose. Lucifer’s skin was slightly flushed, the moisture in the air giving his face a light sheen and making his hair curl. Right now he had closed his eyes and tilted his head back until it rested on the rim of the tub. The water reached up to his collarbone, his elbows were resting on the rim, the champagne flute held nonchalantly in one hand, the fingertips of the other one trailing through the water in lazy spirals. He looked good, relaxed... happy.  
  
Lucifer seemed to sense her scrutiny and raised his head, opening his eyes and catching her gaze. The corners of his mouth curved up in a grin.  
  
“I’m fine, Maze.” He stretched his arms up over his head and arched his back, thrusting out his chest. “Really, really fine.”  
  
Maze rolled her eyes and shook her head, but she couldn’t suppress a fond smile. Then she tilted her head and looked expectantly at the chocolate box. Lucifer huffed a breath, somewhere between a scoff and a laugh, and leaned forward to offer it to her again.   
  
Once she had taken her pick - a caramel this time - he replaced the box on the table, taking a marzipan praline for himself before leaning back again. A frown appeared on his face as he swallowed the sweet.  
  
“You know, this would be more comfortable if you sat over here with me.” He gestured invitingly at the spot right in front of him.  
  
Maze considered the suggestion for a moment, then nodded. “Okay.”  
  
She set down her glass on the side table, and then pushed herself to her knees and twisted around before lowering herself again, taking care not to make the water slosh over the sides of the tub.   
  
Lucifer had spread his legs, giving her room to sit between them. As she leaned back against his chest, she couldn’t resist wriggling just a bit. A grin spread across her face as she felt his body react, his burgeoning erection pressing against her backside.   
  
Blunt teeth nipped at her earlobe as his arm snaked around her waist and clasped her firmly.   
  
“My little demon.”  
  
Maze could feel the vibrations of his laughter against her back. She hummed happily and relaxed in his embrace, feeling him relax in turn. This was what she loved. Teasing each other, playfully provoking and slowly driving each other crazy until the only way to relieve the tension was to fight or fuck. Then starting the whole process again. It was the demon way of doing relationships. The way she was comfortable with. If Lucifer wanted to wrap that in some human trappings, she could handle it.  
  
They sat there in companionable silence, sipping champagne and eating chocolates. The soft jazz coming from the hidden speakers, the flickering candle light, the warmth of the water, the scent of the bath oils, the taste of chocolate and champagne, it all combined into a sensual cocoon that shielded them from the outside world.  
  
When the bottle was empty and Lucifer had let Maze have the last of the chocolates, he sighed happily and wrapped both arms around her waist. His fingers began tracing idle patterns on her skin, slowly lulling Maze into a light doze. She knew that eventually the water would turn cool and they would have to get out, but for now she was content to just be.  
  
“I love you.”  
  
The words were whispered softly, but they jerked her back to reality and made her freeze.  
  
It wasn’t that she had never heard Lucifer say them before. She had, many times. But at each previous time, there had been some sort of qualifier attached, if not audibly then definitely in the context. This though... this sounded different.  
  
Lucifer had frozen too, whether because of what he had said or because he felt her reaction, she didn’t know. Carefully, so as not to make the bath water slosh all over, Maze turned around in his embrace to face him.  
  
He was staring at her, wide eyed. Embarrassment was warring with anxiety on his features, telling her that he had not intended to declare his love out loud. As she met his eyes, Maze could see the fear flickering there. Fear of her. It shocked her, and she had to bite back a gasp. Lucifer was afraid of her reaction to his words. This was wrong. So wrong. She had never, ever, wanted him to be afraid of her. And he didn’t have to be.   
  
Now the first tendrils of pain were creeping into Lucifer’s expression. It took Maze only a second to understand that he was misreading her shock as rejection. She couldn’t let that continue. Cupping his chin in her hand to stop him from averting his gaze, she stared firmly into his eyes.  
  
“I love you, too.”  
  
Stunned disbelief was the only reaction she got. It felt like someone was squeezing her heard with icy hands. Did Lucifer really not know her at all? Could he possibly have lived with her for millennia without realizing that she had feelings for him? No. Impossible.   
  
No, this was a different matter. And perhaps even worse. Lucifer didn’t think anybody could love him. His cursed family and all those stupid mortals who constantly vilified the Devil had convinced him that nobody who knew who and what he truly was would ever be able to love him. In an ironic twist of fate, Maze knew how he felt. She had never believed he would love her, either.  
  
Well, he had proved her wrong. Now she just had to do the same for him.  
  
Leaning forward, she brushed her lips against his in a tender kiss, then pulled back just enough to catch his gaze once again.  
  
“I love you, Lucifer.”  
  
This time, she got the reaction she had secretly been hoping for. Lucifer’s face lit up. There really was no other description for it. Maze had thought she was comfortably warm here in their nice hot bath, but now she felt as though she had been trudging through the blizzard outside for eons, and was now standing in front of a blazing fire.  
  
Lucifer’s arms tightened around her, and then his lips were covering hers and he was kissing her desperately. Maze returned the kiss with equal fervor. After several long moments he broke the kiss to gasp in some air. He rubbed his cheek against hers, dragging his lips along her jawline.  
  
“I love you. Oh Hell, Maze, I love you so much.”   
  
“I love you too. Always have.”   
  
Maze barely managed to get the words out before Lucifer reclaimed her lips, kissing her passionately once again.   
  
They continued to hold and kiss each other until Maze felt Lucifer shiver and realized with a start that their bath water was only lukewarm now. With great reluctance, she pulled back and looked him in the eyes.  
  
“Come on, let’s get out before you’re freezing cold again.”  
  
Lucifer shared her reluctance to be separated even for a moment. He pouted when she pulled out of his embrace and stood up, then smiled when she held out a hand to help him to his feet.  
  
They got out of the tub and helped each other dry off. Maze couldn’t suppress a moan when Lucifer took the deliciously warm towel off the warming rack and wrapped it around her. She quickly did the same for him, grinning when he echoed her pleasure.  
  
He insisted on taking care of her hair, first drying it as thoroughly as possible with a second towel, then picking up her brush and untangling the damp strands carefully. He continued brushing them out until Maze was practically purring, and her hair was falling over her shoulders in soft waves.  
  
She took a moment to bask in the loving attention, then did her best to return the favor, gently rubbing a soft towel over Lucifer’s head until his locks were mostly dry. Then she carefully applied a bit of gel and combed his hair back. Lucifer sighed happily and wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her into a loose embrace. As soon as she had finished her ministrations, he leaned down and kissed her. Then he took her dressing gown from the hook at the door and held it open for her.   
  
Maze quickly removed the towel that was still wrapped around her torso and allowed Lucifer to help her into the gown. He wrapped it tightly around her and tied the belt to keep it closed, then quickly dropped his towel and slipped on his own dressing gown. Maze reached up and straightened the back of his collar, then toyed with the soft hairs at the nape of his neck.  
  
“Bed?”  
  
Lucifer smiled and grasped her hips, pulling her against him. “Excellent idea.”  
  
“My ideas are always excellent.” She cast a quick glance around the room. “We need to blow out the candles first. Don’t want to risk burning this place down.”  
  
“They’ll go out on their own, and the glasses are safe.” Lucifer rolled his eyes. “Since when are you such a worrier?”  
  
Maze scowled. “Since there is a bloody blizzard out there and the only car we have that could maybe get us through it has no heating anymore. I really don’t want to risk freezing to death just because we left some bloody candles burning.”   
  
She knew her reaction was not entirely rational, but she was still a bit on edge after having confessed her feelings. Besides, she really, really did not like the bloody snow. She was a creature of Hell. She liked it hot.  
  
Lucifer’s eyebrows rose at her vehemence. “Okay, okay.”   
  
He removed his right hand from her hips and waved it nonchalantly. Every single candle flame in the room flickered briefly and then went out, leaving them in darkness. Maze didn’t need to see his face to know he was grinning. She could _feel_ the smugness radiating off him.  
  
She reached out and opened the door, letting in the light from outside so Lucifer could see her rolling her eyes at him. Then she stepped out of the bathroom. He followed her and paused briefly outside, picking up a remote control from a small side table. With a flick of a finger, the music cut off. Now the only sounds in the cabin was the soft crackling of the fire in the fireplace downstairs, and the muted howling of the storm outside.  
  
Lucifer took her hand and led her along the open gallery that gave access to the second floor rooms. Every few seconds he looked over at her, that disquietingly tender smile once again on his lips. Maze wondered what the Hell he was planning now.  
  
To her surprise, he led her past the master bedroom which he had claimed for himself, and on to the slightly smaller one that was hers. Not that the room choice really mattered. Maze had only spent one night so far in ‘her’ bedroom, and Lucifer had been right there with her. The other nights they had both slept in the master bedroom. This one was really only a place for her to store her clothes and the other personal belongings she had brought along.  
  
Perhaps sensing her confusion, Lucifer turned towards her as he opened the door and motioned for her to enter first. “Yours is cozier.”  
  
Maze shrugged as she stepped into the room. She had never felt any lack of coziness in the master bedroom, but then it was not a feature she generally considered when evaluating bedrooms. Her criteria tended to be more pragmatic. Security, hygiene, physical comfort. Those were the things that matter to her when she chose a sleeping place.  
  
She stopped in the middle of the dark room and waited for Lucifer to turn on the lights and join her. But instead of flipping the light switch by the door, he stepped past her and moved over to the bed.   
  
The word bed really didn’t do it justice. The thing was a huge, ornate monstrosity, a king sized wrought iron four poster with a full canopy and curtains all around. Maze had privately wondered how whoever had chosen it had gotten it into this room. Maybe they had built the room around the bed.  
  
Lucifer fumbled in the folds of the curtains by the headboard for a moment until he found the switch hidden there. With a muted klick, the bed’s lights turned on.  
  
Someone, Maze didn’t know who and had never bothered to ask, had created an intricate light installation up there in the bed’s canopy. Dozens of tiny LED lights on a deep black background created a surprisingly realistic copy of a starry night sky. It was beautiful, mesmerizing. With the bed’s heavy curtains closed, it created a wonderful private world.  
  
Maybe that’s what Lucifer meant with cozy.  
  
Maze took a step backwards and gave the door a kick so it swung shut, leaving them in the intimate almost-darkness of the bedroom. The artificial night sky of the bed provided just enough light that she could make her way to Lucifer. He laughed quietly and held out his hand to her. The moment she took it he pulled her into his embrace and kissed her once again.  
  
Maze happily returned the kiss. Her arms wound around his neck, fingers tangling in his hair, messing up the strands she had carefully straightened a short while ago. Lucifer’s own hands were roaming over her back, making her skin tingle even through the thick dressing gown. But he made no move to divest her of the garment. Perhaps he was worrying that she would be cold without it.  
  
Impatient, Maze reached for the lapels of his dressing gown and began pushing them aside. To her great surprise, Lucifer stopped her. He released his embrace and reached up, placing his hands over hers, holding them gently but firmly. She looked up at him in confusion.   
  
“What…”  
  
Maze’s eyes widened. Even in the barely there light, she could see the blush spreading rapidly over Lucifer’s face and down to his chest. She could feel the skin heating up beneath her hands.  
  
“I’m sorry, Maze. I love you. I love you so much, and I do want you, and need you, but right now I… I just…”  
  
He trailed off, his breath coming in short gasps that had nothing to do with their recent kisses. Concern shot through Maze. She had never heard him stutter and fail to find the right words, never seen him look so insecure, almost panicked.   
  
“Shhh, shhh. It’s okay. Relax.” She reached up and cupped his cheek, stroking the stubbled skin gently to calm him down. “Tell me what you want?”  
  
Lucifer leaned into her touch and exhaled shakily. “I… I don’t want to have sex.” He must have seen or felt her momentary surprise, because she saw the panic flare up in his eyes again. “I mean I do, I love you, of course I want to have sex with you. Who wouldn’t want to have sex with the one they love? And sex with you is always great, you always know just what I like, and I love giving you pleasure and seeing you enjoying what I do. But… I just… right now…”  
  
He was practically hyperventilating, his whole body vibrating with tension.   
  
A part of Maze was shocked. But another, bigger part of her understood. Lucifer was terrified. He had confessed his feelings to her, and she had reciprocated, but now he was deathly afraid of ruining it, of somehow doing or saying something that would drive her away. Because everyone he loved always left him, sooner or later. They always rejected him in the end.  
  
She stood on tiptoe and kissed him, and then took a second to steel herself and assemble her words.   
  
“I love you, Lucifer. And I’ll go on loving you no matter what you do or do not want to do right now.” Under her fingers she could feel his tenseness lessen a fraction, the shaking subsiding. “Forget about what I might think, or what you _think_ I want. Just say what you want.” She fought down the urge to smirk at her next words. “Tell me what you desire.”  
  
A startled laugh escaped Lucifer’s lips, echoing loudly in the quiet room. He took several deep breaths willing himself to relax, and then leaned down and pressed a brief, soft kiss to her forehead.  
  
“You are amazing. You know that, right? My amazing Maze.” He kissed her again, this time on the lips.  
  
After a moment, Maze pulled back and gave him a look. “I know, I’m awesome. And you’re being evasive.”  
  
“Am not.” Lucifer pouted, then sighed when she only raised an eyebrow. “Alright, alright.”  
  
He took another deep breath and let it out slowly.  
  
“I don’t want to have sex with you right now. I just want to get into bed with you and hold you in my arms. I want to feel your body pressed against mine, your soft skin beneath my fingers, your arms wrapped around me. I want to breathe in your delicious scent and listen to your heartbeat and just be with you. Not doing anything, just lying there, curled up together, simply _being_. Together.” He paused for a second, and then continued. “But I know just cuddling isn’t your thing, and that’s okay. We can go downstairs and watch a movie, or I can play the piano and sing for you, or-”  
  
Maze reached up and placed her hand over his mouth, stopping the stream of suggestions. “No. What you said just now, about curling up together and just being? I want to do that. It sounds… nice.”  
  
It sounded perfect, even though Lucifer was right about it not being something she usually did. But then again, it wasn’t quite as unprecedented as he seemed to believe. There had been times in the past when they had both been too injured or exhausted to do anything except fall into bed and hold each other as sleep claimed them. And there had been a very few lazy mornings where they stayed in bed, dozing, exchanging teasing touches, without it leading to sex. Maze had always secretly cherished those memories.  
  
“Are you sure?”  
  
Apparently her clear and definite words hadn’t been clear enough to dispel Lucifer’s doubts.  
  
“Yes, I’m sure. Come on.”  
  
Maze took off her dressing gown and threw it towards the chair in the corner of the room, not really caring where it landed. In one smooth movement she slid between the sheets, enjoying the slide of the soft fabric against her naked skin and the familiar warm weight of the comforter. She turned towards Lucifer, holding up the covers invitingly.  
  
“Just a moment, my love.”  
  
With these words he darted around to the other side of the bed. There he freed the bed’s curtains from their holders and drew them closed. He did the same with the ones at the foot of the bed. Then he removed his dressing gown and placed it on top of Maze’s on the chair in the corner, and finally returned to the side of the bed where she was waiting for him.  
  
With a happy grin, Lucifer climbed into bed with her and closed the curtains behind him. He scooted over until he could wrap his arms around Maze’s waist and laid his head on her shoulder, sighing happily when she wrapped her arms around him and pulled the comforter up to cover him.  
  
“Thank you, Maze. I love you. You’re the best.”  
  
“I know. And I love you.”  
  
Silence fell. With the curtains closed, the bed had become their own private little cave, safe from the outside world. Overhead, their very own stars twinkled on the canopy sky. Slowly, Lucifer relaxed completely. His eyes fluttered closed. His slow, regular breaths ghosted over Maze’s skin, his arms remained wrapped around her, holding her close. After a while, he drifted off into a light slumber.  
  
Maze continued to lie there, awake, staring up at the fake stars and thinking about what had happened. Lucifer loved her. She had been with him for so long, for millennia, and had loved him for almost as long. But she had never dared hope that he would one day return her feelings. Oh, she knew he liked her, and cared about her in his own, self-centered way. But love? No, that had never been something she thought possible. She was a demon. Demons were not meant to love, or to be loved.  
  
She had still wanted it, of course. To love someone, and face the fact that he didn’t love you back…   
  
And now it had come true. Lucifer loved her, and he had actually admitted it. And she had told him that she loved him, too.  
  
Their confessions of their feelings were going to change things between them, she knew. She wondered if this, right here, was one of those changes. Would they become the kind of couple who chose to spend all their time with only each other, instead of going out partying and having fun with a variety of partners?   
  
She hoped not. A bit of cuddling and some alone time were okay, but she rather expected that it would become boring in the end. There were only so many things you could do with only one partner of the opposite sex, even if he was as talented and open to experimentation as Lucifer.  
  
She doubted that he would be content with that, either. Lucifer did like variety in his sex life, and enjoyed the thrill of finding out someone’s desires. Neither he nor she were the monogamous sort.  
  
With a deep sigh, Maze buried her nose in Lucifer’s hair and closed her eyes. Those questions could wait until tomorrow. She was lying in a very comfortable bed, warm and safe, in the arms of the Devil she loved. Nothing else mattered right now.  
  
If she concentrated, she could still hear the storm howling outside. But right now being snowed in for days or even weeks didn’t sound bad at all.


End file.
